The present invention relates to confectionery products having breath freshening attributes, particularly pressed tablets, deposited hard candy and tablet chewing gum, and methods of producing and using such confectionery products. More particularly, the invention relates to confectionery products having an abrasive surface that is suitable for scrubbing the top surface of the human tongue.
The existence of bad breath has long been a serious problem. Mouth odor is embarrassing at the least, and may diminish personal interactions. The reasons for its occurrence have not been fully understood, and there have been many attempts to overcome its effects. Halitosis, or oral malodor, is thought to be created by degraded epithelial cells of the tongue and the surface of the oral mucosa. It is estimated that 90% of mouth odor is caused by bacterial growth in the food debris trapped between the papillae ridges of the upper (dorsal) surface of the tongue. Volatile sulfur compounds (such as hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulfide) are produced by the putrefactive activities of bacteria in the saliva, the gingival crevice, the tongue coating and other places in the oral cavity. Research indicates that volatile sulfur compound formation occurs primarily on the tongue dorsum. The human tongue has folds and grooves in its dorsal surface and the volatile sulfur compounds that are encountered reach the posterior surface area of the tongue, as well as other areas in the oral cavity, and find their way particularly into those folds and grooves and become firmly lodged therein. It is very difficult to dislodge these materials. Tongue coating includes desquamated epithelial cells released from the oral mucosa, leukocytes from periodontal pockets, and bacteria. Leukocytes possess large quantities of sulfur-containing amino acids from which volatile sulfur compounds are made.
Various devices and products have been devised for cleansing the mouth and freshening the breath, notably the toothbrush, dental floss, mouthwash, aromatic candies, and toothpick. However, each of these has disadvantages. The toothbrush is probably the most widely used breath-freshening device. It is generally effective, but suffers from some disadvantages. The use of the toothbrush requires rinsing the mouth with water, thus restricting the use of the toothbrush near a sink. The toothbrush is commonly used with dentifrice, which must be periodically replaced. After use, the toothbrush is wet, and the bristles hold water, thus making the toothbrush inconvenient to carry in a pocket or purse. In addition, the toothbrush can hold and accumulate food particles in its bristles, thus requiring it to be thoroughly cleaned after each use. Furthermore, the toothbrush also may not help to reduce certain food odors, particularly if used without dentifrice. Further, it is not socially acceptable to use toothbrushes in public.
Dental floss, while effective in removing food particles lodged between the teeth, has the disadvantage of needing to be disposed of. After one use, the piece of floss is usually discarded. Also, use of dental floss can be painful, especially for first-time users. Furthermore, use of dental floss normally requires both hands and proximity to a sink for expectorating and a garbage can to discard the used piece of floss, thus the use of dental floss is restrictive to certain locations. Also, dental floss may not be effective for removing certain food odors.
Like dental floss, mouthwash also has the disadvantages of being restrictive to certain locations. Unfortunately mouthwashes do not physically scrape or remove debris from between the papillae on the surface of the tongue. Thus, odor-causing bacterial growth commences within minutes after using these devices. Furthermore, gargling is not appropriate in public and the mouthwash must be expelled after use.
Breath-freshening candies have the disadvantage of merely masking the odor, and not actually removing or breaking down odor-causing particles. Furthermore, some breath-freshening candies, because of their sugar content, may promote tooth decay.
Finally toothpicks are sometimes used to freshen the breath, but they also have some of the same problems as those mentioned above. In addition, if the pick is sharp, it may be dangerous.
Most of the consumer mass-marketed breath-freshener products (gums, mints, rinses, pastes, and strips) do not eliminate the source of bad breath, they just mask breath problems.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0132000 discloses a rough-textured boiled hard candy for treating halitosis. Crystalline hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated saccharides, organic acids and organic acid salts capable of conferring a rough texture are incorporated into the candy composition.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0163149 discloses a breath freshener lollipop, comprising an applicator head affixed to a handle. The applicator head is made of an edible substance intermixed with an antibacterial means and molded with a textured surface for separating the folds of the tongue and accessing the grooves for the purpose of eliminating the precursors of volatile sulfur compounds.
Even with these many products there is still room for improvement. For example, the use of a lollipop for scrubbing the tongue has the disadvantage that it cannot be done very discretely, as the handle has to be manipulated and protrudes out of the mouth. Compared to boiled hard candy products, pressed mints have lower costs for ingredients (at least for sugarless products), lower energy and labor costs, lower capital costs and lower setup costs. Pressed products are more closely associated with breath freshening in the minds of consumers in at least some markets. The slightly rough texture of compressed products provides better traction against the roof of the mouth than the smoother surface of a boiled candy. Life Saver® pressed mints are not sold as a breath-freshening product, and the mints cannot be used to scrape the tongue because surface lettering on the mints is not high enough to provide sufficient tongue cleaning before the lettering is eroded. The hardness of the product may not be sufficient for it to effectively clean the tongue, in part because it dissolves too quickly. Thus there is still a need for a product which can be used to discretely scrub the tongue and reduce or remove tongue plaque, yet still be enjoyed as a confectionery. Furthermore, it is known that saliva reduces the amount of residual food debris on the surface of teeth and gums. Thus, such a product would preferably induce saliva secretion over an extended period of time, such as by the release of flavorings which provoke the reflex release of saliva. Therefore, the need exists for a product and method of freshening breath that is safe, portable, discrete and effective.